The year 2021 continued presenting challenges across our European movement as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. We have kept in our thoughts and prayers all those affected, but we have also been extremely proud of YMCA’s resilience and relevance at all levels. By working together we have grown in relevance and adapted our response to a new very demanding context.
We have completed the first full year of our new Strategic Plan.
- Relevance
- Representation
- Relationship and
- Resilience are the four pillars that express our strategy and also YMCA Europe’s role and guiding principles.
All our initiatives and programmes developed in 2021 fell under those strategic objectives and all elements in our implementation plan were completed despite the needed adjustments due to the ongoing effects of the pandemic.
It was a crucial year for YMCA Europe. As announced in our adopted Strategy, we initiated the consultation with our programme groups and working platforms in order to increase their impact through their socially relevant initiatives.
Our signature programmes Roots for Peace and Generation Next, Leadership Academy and Movement Strengthening interventions, were combined with online conferences and webinars on fundraising, women in leadership, youth empowerment and peace building.
We also designed a new formal educational programme, strengthened our alignment with World YMCA’s strategic journey and provided input to the global Vision 2030, started the planning of our 50th anniversary with a main event in Berlin during the summer of 2023, opened a new position in Brussels with a focus on project management and increased our services to our member YMCAs through renewed Movement Strengthening tools.
In this report you will read about the fruits of our work and more detailed information about these strategic initiatives.
Our monthly newsletters and the publications at our diverse communication platforms, provided updated overviews about our developments as Area Organisation while also news from our member YMCAs were highlighted.
The social, political and economic context had a strong influence on our work at national and international levels.
Social exclusion, unemployment, migration, radicalisation of sectors in society, low and high intensity conflicts affecting nations and communities have a special impact on young people.
Providing safe spaces and opportunities for youth development is a key objective for the YMCA.
Therefore we are determined to continue empowering youth in our decision making processes, including new programme initiatives with a positive impact in their lives.
Our Executive Committee and Staff Team joins our European YMCA family with deep gratitude for the continuous support and commitment that our members and stakeholders provided one more year. Thank you!
Emma Osmundsen Juan Simoes Iglesias
President Secretary General
Please also read the World YMCA 2021 Annual Report
